Regional News category, Page 284
Completion of Ohiopyle PennDOT project delayed
A construction project in Ohiopyle will not be done by Memorial Day because of delays related to the coronavirus pandemic and CSX railroad, PennDOT officials said Friday. Construction crews are now aiming for July 3 to wrap up work on the $12.4 million project designed to improve pedestrian safety in...
Game Commission seeking information on fatally injured osprey in Indiana County
The state Game Commission is investigating how an osprey was fatally injured this week in rural Indiana County, north of Blairsville. Game commission Officer Chris Reidmiller said the eagle-like hawk was discovered Tuesday by area residents in a farm field in Blacklick Township with a severe injury to one of...
Ohio extends stay-at-home order through May 30
Ohio has extended its stay-at-home order through May 30, the governor’s office announced late Thursday. The state issued a schedule for some businesses to begin reopening this month, but Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s statewide stay-at-home order for residents will not end until 11:59 p.m. May 29. The full text of...
Even if coronavirus restrictions ease, many Americans remain wary of resuming everyday activities
Nearly half of Americans say they won’t be ready to return to public spaces until the coronavirus outbreak is over, even as Pennsylvanians learned Friday that restrictions have been eased in certain parts of the state. According to a CBS News poll of 2,106 people, 48% of respondents said they...
May brings broader return of PennDOT road work under eased covid-19 restrictions
PennDOT crews and contractors will ramp up work on area road and bridge projects in May, under state guidelines for phasing in construction work during the covid-19 pandemic. Among the first projects expected to proceed in Westmoreland County are work on a truck-climbing lane on Route 356 in Allegheny Township,...
Covid-19 concerns cancel Jimmy Stewart Airshow in Indiana County
Indiana County officials have canceled the Jimmy Stewart Airshow, planned for June 6 and 7, because of coronavirus concerns. The cancellation notice, posted late this week on the Indiana County Jimmy Stewart Airport website, indicates the show organizers “take the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, performers, vendors and...
State appoints ‘temporary manager’ for covid-stricken Beaver nursing home
State officials have entered into an agreement to appoint a temporary manager at the Beaver County long-term care facility where more than 50 people have died from covid-19. The Long Hill Co., based in Shelton, Conn., became the temporary manager for the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in mid-April, according...
Trib ups grant fund to $1 million
It was a million dollar moment for businesses throughout the region Thursday when Trib Total Media expanded its advertising grant program from $250,000 to $1 million, meeting an overwhelming first-day demand for funds aimed at helping companies regain their footing amid the covid-19 crisis. Just seven hours after the application...
Report: More federal cash needed for a safe, secure 2020 election
A $400 million federal boost to help cover increased election costs nationwide this year because of the coronavirus pandemic is far less than the actual amount needed, according to a report authored in part by a University of Pittsburgh researcher. The report, “Ensuring Safe Elections: Federal Funding Needs for State...
Sheetz to extend pay increase for employees during pandemic
Sheetz announced Thursday it is extending its extra pay for employees until June 4. When the $3 an hour increase was announced March 25, it was set to run through April 23, for all employees working during the pandemic. “This extension is to express our continued gratitude for our hardworking...
Pennsylvania auditor general will look into how state handled business waivers
State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale will audit how the state managed the waiver process used to give businesses exemptions to Gov. Tom Wolf’s shutdown order. “Some business owners complained that the department’s waiver process was too slow and not transparent enough,” DePasquale said. The announcement came a day after Senate...
Herd immunity with coronavirus stirs debate, but experts say it comes at a deadly cost
Critics of coronavirus-related shutdowns have pointed to Sweden’s path toward “herd immunity” as justification for advocating an end to stay-at-home orders, even as some infectious disease experts warn the Swedes’ methods could be deadly. Building herd immunity has gained popularity in some circles as an alternative to widespread shutdowns and...
Gov. Wolf: No decision yet on which areas of Pennsylvania could move to ‘yellow’ phase on May 8
A day before state officials were set to announce what parts of Pennsylvania could see coronavirus restrictions eased, Gov. Tom Wolf said his administration hadn’t yet decided which areas will be included. “We haven’t even made the list up yet,” Wolf told reporters when asked what Pennsylvanians can expect from...
Census surveys could help small businesses post-pandemic
Greg Cammerata, a Hempfield restaurant owner, is hopeful a new survey rolled out by the U.S. Census Bureau will bring additional aid to small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re not a corporate place,” said Cammerata, who owns IronRock Tap House. “We’re local people that did this restaurant. We don’t...
Nemacolin to reopen with limited occupancy, private butlers
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington plans to partially reopen its five-star hotel — Falling Rock — on May 8. Private butlers will provide each guest with a customized itinerary and will be available 24/7 via phone call, text or video for assistance. All guests will receive a mask, hand sanitizer...
Pandemic-fueled rush on meat keeps Western Pa. markets working harder to satisfy demand
Area meat markets say demand for their products is skyrocketing as customers look to stock their freezers during the covid-19 pandemic. How long that boom will last could depend on whether predictions of widespread meat shortages come true. Because of health-related constraints on social gatherings, Marylou Miller is resigned to...
It’s a beautiful day to join Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh’s ‘Neighborhood Singalong’Video
Kids bored? Can’t go to the museum? Why not help send a message of music to the world? The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is inviting housebound children and families to snap a few photos, record their version of the classic “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and...
Western Pa. high school students struggle to make college plans during pandemic
Lydia Musser had her heart set on attending college outside of Pennsylvania. The Kiski Area senior, 18, had campus visits scheduled throughout March at East Carolina University, the University of Tampa and West Virginia University. Then, all of her visits were canceled. She’s now planning to attend Duquesne University instead,...
Pennsylvania American Water seeks 24% rate hike over 2 years
Water and sewer bills could increase by nearly 24% over a two-year period for Pennsylvania American Water customers if state regulators approve a rate-hike request. Officials said the utility has invested more than $1.6 billion in infrastructure improvements, including replacement of more than 427 miles of aging water and sewer...
Trib Total Media bolsters local business recovery with $250,000 advertising grant program
We are in this together. At no other time have those words been truer than today, when locally owned businesses search for answers about how and when their operations will reopen and reconnect with customers. Trib Total Media is putting those words into action by offering homegrown businesses matching grants...
Pittsburgh area March jobless rate rises, economist sees 16% in April
The Pittsburgh region’s unemployment rate jumped to 6% in March, but local economists predict the worse is yet to come because the jobless data was collected before the coronavirus-ordered shutdown of the state’s economy. “I’m pretty certain the region is looking at something above 16% (jobless rate) for April,” said...
Bill would allow Pennsylvania restaurants to serve to-go cocktails during pandemic
At least one local restaurateur thinks a proposed bill that would allow restaurants to sell liquor products to-go is “too little, too late.” House Bill 327, which the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed Tuesday, would allow a restaurant or hotel with a valid liquor license that lost more than 25%...
Pittsburgh food bank hosting drive-up distributions in Beaver, Greene counties
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will host two more drive-up distributions this week that can provide food boxes for more than 3,000 vehicles in Greene and Beaver counties. The food bank will distribute food boxes from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Franklin Township. The...
Lawsuit alleges Brighton Rehab performed coronavirus drug experiments on residents
A class-action lawsuit alleges that lack of oversight by the state Department of Health allowed Brighton Rehabilitation in Beaver County to perform drug experiments on patients under the guise of clinical trials to prevent coronavirus. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, alleges that the department has scaled down...
Coronavirus pandemic can be alarming for Western Pa. allergy sufferers
For most people, opening a window or stepping outside for a breath of fresh air is a welcome respite, especially during Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home order. But for those with allergies, pollen from trees and grass can bring misery. The allergens can cause a runny nose, malaise, watery eyes and coughing —which...
